The world has been in and out of wars and experienced much change since 1961, but Jhin said the mission of the Peace Corps never faltered. It has always been to promote peace and understanding among mankind. All volunteers serve overseas, but the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina last year along the Gulf Coast marked the first time volunteers worked stateside.

Without a burnt orange and navy blue outfit to wear or a megaphone to carry, Dr. Kyo "Paul" Jhin didn’t look like an Auburn University cheerleader, but he sounded like one, shouting "War Eagle" as often as he could during a lecture on campus Monday.

Jhin has been cheering for AU ever since he earned his doctorate in math education in 1971 "because Auburn made me what I am today." For the last five years, he’s been an advocate for the Peace Corps, the volunteer agency designed to promote peace and understanding between the United States and countries throughout the world.

Jhin is the director for the office of planning, policy and analysis. His office provides the agency with statistical reports about Peace Corps volunteers, country status reports and updates to the volunteer handbook.

Although he said he’d use any excuse to visit Auburn, Jhin used this time to advocate for the corps, even suggesting placing a recruiter at AU. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is the country’s top university recruiter with 104 alumni volunteers. Jhin said Auburn probably has the most volunteers of any university in Alabama, but he’d like to see it become the best in the Southeast. He said he is in discussions with AU officials to put a Peace Corps recruiter on campus to help in the effort.

There are 14 AU alumni currently in the field, Jhin said. Auburn has produced 257 Peace Corps volunteers since President John F. Kennedy started the organization 45 years ago. Overall, there are 8,000 volunteers in 70 countries presently.

The world has been in and out of wars and experienced much change since 1961, but Jhin said the mission of the Peace Corps never faltered. It has always been to promote peace and understanding among mankind. All volunteers serve overseas, but the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina last year along the Gulf Coast marked the first time volunteers worked stateside.

Jhin doesn’t think the current war on terror or possibly reinstating the military draft would increase participation in the corps. Richard Nixon opposed the Peace Corps at its inception because he thought young men would enroll to dodge the draft. Jhin said people have been attracted to it through the years out of a desire to help others and make change, war or no war.

"We need the Peace Corps more than ever," he said.

Jhin said he favors Auburn grads in the selection process because Auburn produces the type of people wanted by the Peace Corps.

"We want the Kenny Irons-type of volunteer, the one who will make a touchdown, the one who will make a difference," he said.

Besides gaining international experience unlike any other from the corps, Jhin said it is not uncommon for volunteers to find their spouses during their two-year commitment. If students don’t find their mates among the fine crop at AU, Jhin suggested trying the corps.

Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace CorpsSenator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments.

He served with honorOne year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

Peace Corps' Screening and Medical ClearanceThe purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process.

The Peace Corps is "fashionable" againThe LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace.

PCOL readership increases 100%Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

History of the Peace CorpsPCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

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Story Source: Opelika-Auburn News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Staff; Asian Americans Issues

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